The Witch's Microcosm
by IceWulf7
Summary: After crashing in a dank forest, the Rescue Rangers find themselves caught up in a quest to stop a monster-making witch. Rated T for violence.
1. Crash Landing

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, nor do I own any part of La-Mulana or the Castlevania series which inspired some of this fanfiction.

Chapter 1: Crash Landing

The chipmunk groaned as he rubbed his eyes, slowly coming to. He was unsure how long he was out cold, but what he did know was what had occurred previous to the crash landing.

At first, it seemed like a typical, if not odd in presentation, case. There was someone who had heard of the Rescue Rangers a far ways away from the city, who requested their aid. The person claimed to be an aristocrat and would have preferred not to disclose the information on the case, and also sent a private plane for the group.

The flight was also quite typical at first. Chip was thinking over the mission specs, pondering what could possibly be so private and urgent that the client would not disclose such information. Dale was busy goofing around, seeming quite restless and more than one breaking Chip's concentration. Gadget was, as usual, tinkering with various knick-knacks and producing inventions from them. Monty, as one would expect, was helping himself to the cheese that the group had been offered as an in-flight snack. And Zipper was busy catching a quick snooze as the plane made its course.

All seemed well until a sudden fog appeared, hazing out the view of the tiny plane's destination. Even more sudden was a short-circuiting in the plane that sent it in a tailspin hurtling toward the nearby location: a fort in the middle of some dark woods.

"Chip… Chip! Hey, Dale, he's alright!"

Chip groaned out once more, his vision still blurry, removing his diminutive fedora to rub his sore head. "Ohhh… Gadget? Is that you…?"

Running into view was indeed the young mouse girl. She helped Chip up onto his feet, Dale trailing not too far off. Chip felt like he had just barely survived a TKO from a professional heavyweight boxer. Finally getting his footing, his thoughts were once again shattered as Dale spoke. "Boy, you had us worried!" Dale exclaimed. "How ya feeling, Chipper?"

"Awful", replied the other chipmunk. "…Where's Monty? And Zipper? And the pilot?"

Gadget frowned, staring toward the sky briefly before replying, "…The pilot didn't make it. He passed away just a few minutes ago… as for Monty and Zipper, they went to go get help, but they haven't returned yet".

Chip frowned. "Well, ol' Monty can take care of himself, and Zipper can help him if need be…" He sighed. "…So. Where are we, anyway?"

Gadget shrugged. "Beats me", she said. "Apparently we were on-course… the fort shouldn't be too far off from here… that's why I'm worried about Monty and Zipper. They should have been back by now!"

"Well, no need to worry, Gadget", said Dale. "Just like Chip said, they ought to be fine!"

As Dale said this, Chip turned about and saw that he must have been dragged out of the wreckage, for the plane was roughly a yard away in human size. He saw the craft still smoldering, smoke billowing up from the wrecked metal. He turned back. "…were we able to salvage anything?"

Dale nodded. "There's plenty of soda and cheese left to keep us from going hungry", he replied. "We also found a survival kit; it has even more food, and some cooking supplies. Oh, and I also saved your whip, too. You can thank me later".

Gadget also added, "There should have been a radio transmitter though… it would have been really helpful to send for help. All we found though were a brass knuckle where the transmitter should have been in the pack -- there are indentations for the supplies in the kit. There was also a survival knife… but I can't help but think that guy was expecting a fight more than a crash…"

"How right you are, young one", said an old man's voice from a ways off. The three turned and spied an old rat approaching them. He was wearing a sackcloth robe with a hood over it. There was something very strange about his movements; though there was a mild wind and he was walking, his clothing did not move a bit.

"Where did you come from?" asked Chip. "And who are you?"

The old man chuckled softly. "Oh… I came from my mother, of course, but I was merely observing you now. I sensed the disturbance of the crash and came to offer my advice. As for why I am, my name is Sirocco. It is nice to meet you… but are you all okay?"

Chip shook his head. "What do you think? Our pilot's dead, we crashed here who knows how long ago, and we're missing two of our team", he said, his voice somewhat exasperated.

"Calm yourself, young one", said Sirocco. "I am sorry for your losses, yes, but I must warn you of greater threats right now. Do you know anything of these woods?" The group shook their heads. "The fort up ahead was built most recently, despite its ancient look. These woods are a mysterious one, said to fortify one's paranormal abilities…"

Gadget blinked. "Uhm, what? 'Paranormal abilities'? What are you talking about, there's no such thing as those! At least, not with any irrefutable proof!"

Sirocco chuckled once more. "That so, dear? What if I told you I myself was not of the living?"

Dale hastily replied, "Then I'd call you a real nutzo". He walked over to Sirocco, holding out a hand. "I mean, if I touched you, there's no way my hand would go through--" As Dale reached for Sirocco, he at first felt nothing. Guessing that he did not reach far enough, a gasp a moment later from Chip and Gadget and his look toward the old rat concluded his fears: his hand had flowed through the ethereal phantom.

"Y-y-you're a ghost!" cried Dale, running behind Chip in safety.

Sirocco shrugged. "Quite so", he said. "And I have a feeling that if you are not careful, you may end up the same way as I". He sighed. "Up ahead lies the fortress of a powerful witch… she is talented at creating monsters. If she is not taken care of she will surely be able to unleash all kinds of malevolence upon our kind. It was actually I who sent that case to you… I know this is a lot to soak in, but I have faith in you all and hope you will be able to stop this plot"

The group, still in utter disbelief, stood there for a few seconds. Despite seeing a ghost, Chip was, much to his wondering why, not afraid. Gadget was incredulous about seeing the ghost and what he was talking about. And finally Dale was still shivering, paralyzed in fright.

After a fair pause, Chip advanced a step and asked, "…okay, we'll do it".

"Are you nuts?!" exclaimed Dale. "We're talking to a ghost here! And if he's right, we'd never stand a chance against a witch or monsters!"

Gadget shook her head. "…All I know is that I want to make sure Monty and Zipper are alright, and to learn more about all of this. And of course, I'll do my best to help if you're really up for this, Chip". The chipmunk in question nodded to the mouse, feeling somewhat more confident that he'd be able to handle this new 'case'.

Chip nodded. "Thanks, Gadget. Okay, Sirocco, do you know any way we can stop this witch?"

Sirocco nodded slowly. "Her magic cannot save her from strong enough heroes such as yourselves. Try to find your way through the fort and fight your way past her beasts. But I warn you… it will not be easy, and the fort is quite an odd one at that. Its interior is almost like its own microcosm. To get through, search for my belongings. They ought to still be there, as I was once affiliated with this witch before she turned evil. Go now, and do your best. I will appear before you periodically to provide further aid". With that, Sirocco slowly faded away.

Chip sighed. "Well, looks like we have no choice in the matter, do we? C'mon, let's go to this fortress".

End Chapter 1.


	2. The Microcosm

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, nor do I own any part of La-Mulana or the Castlevania series which inspired some of this fanfiction.

Chapter 2: The Microcosm

A good ten minutes of walking later took the chipmunks and the mouse to the front of the fortress, Chip carrying a knapsack containing some of the survival kit's contents with him. It was a rather small building in comparison to a human, resembling more of a stone dollhouse than a fort. It indeed looked at though it had been built centuries ago, but seemed relatively preserved.

"Well, this is it", said Chip. "Here we go…" He walked toward the wooden double doors, glad there was no portcullis to block the way, and pushed them open. They were heavy, and creaked with rusty hinges like any stereotypical haunted houses' hinges would.

The interior was nothing like what the group expected. The main foyer was a huge, well-furnished one. Torches lit the room, a left and right wing seen as well as twin staircases leading up to a pair of doors. Red velvet carpets rolled leading to each wing and up the stairs.

"Wow!" said Gadget. "What a place! Well, I'm bought; magic's real, alright".

"Yeah", said Dale, "But what about monsters?"

"Guess we'll find out soon enough", said Chip, gripping the handle of his curled-up bullwhip tight. "Did you two pick which weapons you wanted?"

Dale nodded. "I chose the brass knux myself! They're pretty neat!" With that Dale hopped forth and started throwing punches through the air, making all sorts of boxing sound effects from the typical quick breath through the teeth to all sorts of punching noises.

"I get it, Dale", said Chip, sighing to himself. He pondered how he got himself into this mess, but was resolute to get him and his friends out of it. "Gadget, will you be okay with that knife?"

Gadget nodded, very unsure of herself. She was sure she could use it when needed, especially if she grew into her mean streak, but would be much more comfortable if she had either a gun, or some sort of longer blade at the very least. "Think so", she eventually replied. "So… which way should we go?"

Chip replied, "I say we take the left wing first. C'mon, Dale, let's get moving". The three would then pad through the corridor, stopping roughly a few seconds later. There was a long pool of green liquid bubbling right in front of them in the corridor. The pools were quite long, and they had a sour smell to them.

"Well, guess we gotta swim then", said Dale, as he backed up and ran toward the pools. As Chip and Gadget cried out in explanation, the appearance of the apparition known as Sirocco was the only thing stopping Dale from diving into the liquid.

"Chipmunk!" cried Sirocco, holding his hand out, "Stop!" Letting out a yell of surprise, Dale froze in his tracks. "Before you is an acid bath, a primitive but effective hazard to stop those in the witch's way. If you were to enter, you would have melted away to a skeleton in a few seconds!"

"Impossible", said Gadget. "No acid is that powerful".

"Still a nonbeliever in the supernatural, I see", said the rat's ghost. "Very well. Take a torch and toss it into the acid". Gadget sighed, did as she was told, and shivered in fear as the wooden torch melted away to nothingness in roughly four seconds, leaving nothing more but steam that rose from where it was tossed in. "You, chipmunk in the red", spoke the rat again, pointing to Dale. "You need to be more cautious. All I can do is offer my advice and warnings, and nothing more. I cannot save your life should you toss it away so carelessly".

"Y-y-yessir!" replied Dale, saluting Sirocco. "A-a-and my name's Dale, if you wanted to know, your ghostliness!"

"I'd say not to worry about Dale", replied Chip, "But trust me, all this time I've known him he's been pretty careless. By the way, I'm Chip".

"And I'm Gadget", replied the mouse, "And mortified how easily Dale could have died from that!"

Sirocco nodded and did a half-bow to the three. "I see. Glad to know your names; though I have heard of the Rescue Rangers I have yet to know your specific names". He thought for a moment, then gasped. "Oh dear", he said weakly. "…Gadget, was it? By any chance, is your last name 'Hackwrench'?"

Gadget nodded. "It is. Why? What's wrong?"

Sirocco shook his head. "Oh. Nothing. Nothing at all. Well. I must say I'd advise you to go forth through the eastern corridor first. The two doors at the top of the staircase will not open unless you find the fort's skeleton key, which is beyond this acid bath. Past the next two sections in the east wing lays items I produced myself which will allow you to be unharmed by the acid. Beware, however, for not only are there monsters but also a mausoleum ahead, but I'll provide more insight on that later… if you live that long".

With that, Sirocco vanished into thin air, leaving the Rescue Rangers to themselves, yet despite this his voice rang out, "Oh, and Chip… search the carpets near the entrance for a trapdoor beneath them. You might need what's inside…" And with that, he dispersed completely.

Chip groaned. "'If you live that long'… so much for having faith in us". He indeed would check the carpet, and would find an upward indentation. Moving the carpet aside, he called out, "Hey, there really is a trapdoor here!" The others would come to Chip as he lifted the door and found what was hidden inside.

In the compartment the trapdoor hid was what looked like seven staves of steel, the last one pointed and with a piece of cloth tied around it, all chained together and with a steel handle. Chip blinked, looking at the weapon and picking it up. "A… a metal whip?"

"Oh, I've heard of those!" said Gadget. "That's what's called a chain whip. They're used in martial arts, and they're probably better as weapons than your leather whip. You can apparently use them just like a normal whip, but they're a bit trickier to use. Just… be careful when using it so you don't hit yourself, okay?"

Chip nodded. He put his trusty whip into the knapsack, picked up the chain whip by the handle, and began to give it a twirl or two. Whirling it around, he realized the purpose of the cloth: to stabilize the spinning linked staves as well as to give him an idea where the sharp tip was. He cracked it a few times, swiped it through the air a couple more, then let it rest on the ground and curled it up. He was excited to use it, and because he now had a metallic weapon felt he could stand a chance against whatever would come his way along with his friends.

"Okay, Rangers, let's head out to the mausoleum!" he cried.

End Chapter 2.


	3. Monster Mash

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, nor do I own any part of La-Mulana or the Castlevania series which inspired some of this fanfiction.

Chapter 3: Monster Mash

The three traveled down the right wing to the door, and opened it up. Chip lead the group, warning Dale and Gadget beforehand to give him plenty of space so they would not get hurt by his whiplashes.

As Chip opened the door, a chemical smell filled his sensitive animal nostrils. The room before him was a little bit danker than the main foyer, all sorts of substances and potions in human-sized phials and test tubes that towered over the small rodents.

"Ugh", groaned Dale. "This place smells awful! And what's up with this witch and chemicals, anyway?"

"Shhh!" hushed Gadget, who added in a low voice, "We don't know where these monsters are… you might want to keep your voice down".

Dale nodded. "Right, sorry", he said in an equally hushed tone. The group would advance slowly, the group readying their weapons. The only noise they made was the telltale rattling of Chip's chain whip as it trailed behind him. All seemed well, until the door mysteriously slammed shut behind them.

Turning on a heel, Chip ran to the door and tried to force it open. "We're locked in! Figured as much!" he grunted.

"Uhm, Chip…?" asked Gadget in a troubled tone. "I have a feeling that's the least of our worries… look up ahead…"

Advancing upon the group appeared to be not only a legion of skeletons of various rodents, but in front of them were also what looked like thick green goo slithering toward them. Within the goo appeared to be some sort of sphere roughly the size of the rodents' curled fists along with more oblong 'organs'. The creatures appeared from what looked like doors in the sides of the walls, their appearance matching the walls.

"Monsters!" cried Dale. "Oh, man, I didn't sign up for this!"

"None of us did!" cried Chip. "But I'm not letting them stop us! Come on!" He leapt into the air, entering the crowd of skeletons. His chain whip whirled above him, clipping the skeletons and knocking many of their skulls off. The skeletons in question would then crumple into the dust. The animated bones, possessing some consciousness, began to back off from Chip as the blobs moved in toward him.

"Chip!" cried Gadget. "The slimes!" She would then dart forward. "Dale, come ON!" she would exclaim, with Dale reluctantly following. "You cover those skeletons! If those globs of goop are anything like amoebas…"

Dale braced himself, then let out a war cry and starting swinging his fists in all directions, smashing his bare and protected knuckles against the skeletons. His normal punches had little effect, but the ones with the brass knuckles amplifying their might would crack the bones, causing them to crumple into bonemeal just as the others had when Chip whipped them.

Spinning the knife in her hand so the blade pointed to the ground, Gadget thrust it into one of the approaching blobs, piercing the flesh-like sphere inside of it. Within a few moments it began to melt down into nothing more but harmless gunk, organelles and all. "Aha!" she cried. "Just as I thought! The orb is its nucleus!"

By this time, Chip continued to spin his whip about, destroying many of the skeletons. Dale had managed to clear a path, but now found himself entrapped between skeletons that were trying to scratch and bite at him. "Chip! Help!" he cried. The other chipmunk immediately nodded, giving Dale a command to duck. Dale complied, and with a vicious sweep of the whip Chip managed to crush and crunch his way through the skeletons surrounding his old friend with one swing.

The slimes, too oblivious to notice Gadget stabbing them and too focused on trying to attack Chip, were soon dispatched, their movements quite slow. From all of this, the group was lucky that the only 'injuries' sustained was the fact that Chip's wrist was beginning to ache from all of the whip twirling he did as well as Dale's bare knuckles from all the punching.

Smiling at his success, glad to be unharmed, he swiped his whip to the ground and wiped the sweat of adrenalin rush from his forehead. "Dale, Gadget. Are you both alright?" he asked.

"No sweat, Chipper", said Dale. "And thanks for the save, buddy".

"I'm okay", said Gadget, pulling an cloth normally used for shop oil spills out of her pocket and using to clean the blobs' goo off of her knife. "Just glad I know basic cell anatomy…" She sighed. "…guys, I was thinking. You know how Sirocco asked about my last name? I… I have a bad feeling about it, really…"

"So do I, Gadget", replied Chip. "Trust me, though, if we stick together we ought to be fine. Right, Dale?… Dale?" As the chipmunk looked about, he found his friend picking up a few phials off of a bench. "Dale, don't touch those! Who knows what they can do?"

"Oh, c'mon, Chipper! These say that they're 'healing potions'!" he said. "They say to just pour them onto an injured body part and it'll heal". With that, Dale uncorked one and poured the bluish fluid onto his left hand, Chip and Gadget crying out in concern. Thankfully, nothing bad happened to Dale. His hand began to tingle as the fluid soaked in almost instantly, his knuckles' aching fading away. "Hey, this stuff really works!", he said. "Let's take some with us, just in case".

Chip sighed in relief. "Okay, okay", he said. "But next time, don't go trying random fluids on yourself! This isn't a game, you can really get hurt!" He took a few of the labeled healing potions off of the bench and, picking up what looked like a bandolier, clipped the phials to them. He then removed his jacket, put on the bandolier, and put it back on. "There are some belts with more of these compartments on them. You both take some potions too and put the belts on". The other chipmunk and the mouse complied, and soon they were girded up with the belts, the potions held by their necks in the secure clips.

"I hope these will come in handy", Gadget said softly. She pointed ahead to a nearby door. "The mausoleum should be past that door. Let's move out".

End Chapter 3.


	4. The Captured Soul

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, nor do I own any part of La-Mulana or the Castlevania series which inspired some of this fanfiction.

Chapter 4: The Captured Soul

Opening the door to the mausoleum, Gadget staggered back in surprise as she saw Sirocco standing there. "Sorry", he spoke out. "Just wish I knew a better way to appear…"

The mouse's hand flew to her chest as she took a deep breath. "Next time, please", she said to the apparition, "Don't do _that!_" Calming down, she looked behind him and saw the inside of the dark mausoleum. It resembled an indoor cemetery, with short grass and tombstones laid in rows, a cobblestone path leading to a door up ahead. The walls were made of stone, various coffins laying in recesses in them.

"Once more", said Sirocco, "My apologizes… well, Gadget. I must explain that this is, as you can plainly see, the mausoleum. No monsters will attack you here save for one, who is locked in the door up ahead. In order to get to my private sanctum, you must get past the being that lies beyond. But you cannot harm him yet. Seek the various tombs for a locket. You will need to wear it, Gadget, in order to harm him".

"Hey", said Dale, "What's with all this Gadget stuff? Why is she so important this time?"

"You'll find out soon enough", said Sirocco. "Well, best of luck…" With that, he faded away once more.

Chip nodded. "Well, seems we have no choice. Let's split up, and try to find both the locket and the key to the door". The other two nodded in response, and the group traveled into the mausoleum. The ground was soft under their feet, the grass up to just above their ankles; apparently, the grass had been cut recently. The place reeked of dust and death, a stale scent in the air.

The gloomy setting reminded Chip of the fallen pilot. Who was he, he wondered? How much did he know was going on? And did he know he was going to die? Alas, these things were a mystery to Chip, and he hoped that he was in a better place now. Steeling himself, never thinking he'd need to desecrate a grave before, he opened one of the stone coffins and found nothing more but the bones of a mouse. He took a quick look, and was just about to shut the coffin before Dale called out, "Hey, guys! Check it out! I found the locket and key, even in the same coffin!"

Gadget's thoughts were broken as Dale exclaimed this. She was pondering her necessity in the situation, but once Dale announced his find, she padded her way over to him alongside Chip. Dale held in his hand a tarnished, golden locket, a black iron key on a chain, and even a note. "The skeleton was wearing all this stuff and holding the note", he said. "Can't believe I had to touch 'im, though… good thing he's just bones now".

Chip shrugged, taking the paper and reading it. As Gadget tried on the locket, Chip immediately called for her, "Gadget! This letter… it's for you!" Gadget's heart skipped a beat. She walked to Chip and took the letter, reading it aloud,

Dear Gadget,

It would seem as though you will get this letter

Soon enough, as I had overheard the witch

Saying that she has been having recurring

Nightmares that describe you, Chip, and Dale.

If you come through the door not wearing

My locket, you won't stand a snowball's

Chance in Hades against me. This is because

I, under control by the powers of this evil

Fortress, will relentlessly attack you.

I am sorry that such a thing will occur, but

That is why Blight, the witch, brought me back

From the dead to do: to fight and kill you.

I am using the rat named Sirocco's powers to

Write this. Gadget, please forgive me for attacking

You, and please, do not hesitate to destroy

My ghostly form for it is the only way now that

I can return to the hereafter and rest in peace. Know

Now and forever that I will always love you,

My wonderful and intelligent daughter.

Signed,

Geegaw Hackwrench

Gadget's vision was clouded by tears and her voice broke by the time she finished the letter addressing her. "Oh my…" she said, beginning to sob, "…it all makes sense now! Sirocco! Sirocco, come here right now!" Nothing. "Sirocco! Why didn't you tell me that this happened?! Why?!"

"Because", spoke the aged rat's voice, "I thought it best for you to find out this way than for your spirit to be broken so early". He appeared next to Gadget, placing a hand on her shoulder which only made her feel like a cold wind was lingering over it. "Gadget, if I had told you the fate of your father's ghost, you would not have had the spirit to defend Chip back in the chemical depository. Please… know that indeed, your father would never wish to hurt you if he could help it"

Gadget's tears flowed down from her eyes, the fur on her face becoming wet. "How long", she asked, "…how long was he taken over?"

"Not too long ago", spoke the rat, "He was taken shortly after I was killed, when Blight was experiencing her nightmares of you three".

Chip frowned, as did Dale. "Gadget", spoke Chip in a soft voice, "…I'm sorry this happened to your dad. I really am… I don't know what to say. All I know is that the only way to give him the peace he deserves is to defeat him… please, I want to help you… I'm sure Dale and I would do anything to try and help you out…"

Gadget wiped the tears from her eyes, sniffling softly. She now had a resolute look on her face. "…I understand you'd want to help, Chip, but this is something I'll need to do myself. I need the key", she said, motioning to Dale who immediately handed it over. "If I don't make it, you'll need to go on without me", she said.

"Gadget, please, you gotta be careful", said Dale softly.

"I know, Dale", replied the mouse, taking up her survival knife. "But this time, you have to trust in me". She walked forth, unlocking the door and stepping into the next room. Before her was a single tombstone on the grass floor, the cobblestones leading up to it. There were four plaques with swords on the wall, as well as a few holster-like pouches holding a few throwing weapons, ranging from shuriken to throwing knives and even a flare gun and flares.

As soon as the mouse entered, a shimmering wall suddenly appeared, blocking out Chip and Dale. The shimmering stopped, but as soon as Dale pressed his hand to the open doorway, the shimmering continued and he shook his hand in pain as he felt as if static electricity zapped it.

Before her very eyes, the spitting image of Geegaw appeared before her. He was still dressed in his aviator clothing, from his hat and goggles to his scarf and jacket. His ghost floated above the tombstone, a fierce look in his eyes. Motioning to the side, a sword flew from its resting place on the wall and entered his hand.

"Hello once more… father", said Gadget, readying her knife. Looking ready to burst into tears once more, she took a fighting stance and added, "I'm here to send you back to the grave, as you wish for me to".

Springing out from the ghost's lips was a voice that was a distorted version of Geegaw's normal vocalization. "The only one dying here is _you_, Gadget", he replied, and then flew forth at the girl, completely ignoring Chip and Dale who were standing outside of the room.

As the sword swung down at the girl, she let out a yell of fear and ducked to the side, the blade barely missing her. In return, she leapt and tried to swing at the apparition, yet Geegaw's reflexed prevented the blade from touching him form, the sword clashing against his daughter's knife.

Upon landing, Gadget suddenly thrust upward, hitting Geegaw on the thigh. He howled in pain, a splash of glowing greenish goop spraying out from the wound. "Y… yesssss", he groaned, his voice normal for a brief second. It did not last long, for soon the warped version of his voice cried out, "I'll cut you apart for that!"

Throwing his sword, the blade floated in the air as it swung wildly as Gadget. A few cuts managed to slash through her tummy and shoulder, making her cry out in pain, her blood dribbling down. She ran for cover, the sword following her. Spying the holsters on the wall, she grabbed one and drew from it a weapon that resembled a lawn dart. As soon as she pulled it out she hurled it at Geegaw's ghost, while unbeknownst to her a new dart appeared shortly after.

The flying dart managed to hit Geegaw's arm, which at the time was flicking about. His ghostly telekinesis ended by the sudden pain of the dart flying through it, Geegaw dropped to the floor, his body acting almost solid. "Good shot", he muttered in his normal voice, his teeth clenched. "Aim for myyyyyy--" He suddenly began to gnash his teeth, the fiendish control of the fortress overtaking him once more. "Come here, you brat!" He drew from another spot on the wall another hanging sword, and reclaiming his other blade came at Gadget, the blades whirling about.

Slowly being backed up into a corner, Gadget, now realizing her pain and the danger before her, reached for her potion bandolier and splashed onto her wounds one of her healing potions. She hurled the empty phial as a distraction, chucking it over Geegaw's shoulder. As he turned about, doing a double take, his daughter immediately leapt forth with a war cry, swinging the knife at his throat. The power of the mysterious locket, a keepsake of Geegaw's, allowed her to deliver a finishing blow, which sent the mouse flying to the floor, dropping his weapons and landing once more as if he was solid.

Gadget dropped the survival knife as the force field blocking out Chip and Dale vanished, Sirocco having disappeared once more some while earlier. They ran to Gadget's side, but were pushed out of the way as her father laid on the ground, his form vanishing. "Father!" she cried out, the tears flowing once more from her eyes. "Oh, dad… I'm so sorry…"

Geegaw's voice, at last, was completely returned to normal. He spoke, "Gadget, my child… don't beat yourself up over it. If anyone should apologize, it should be me for fighting you, but… neither of us could help it. I couldn't act normally due to this fortress's curse, and you had to defend yourself…" He smiled softly, ethereal tears in his own eyes. "Thank you for freeing me from this ghoul's control, Gadget… and never forget, I'll be watching over you…" With that, he finally faded away into nothingness.

Gadget sobbed miserably, falling onto her hands and knees, her tears falling from her like rain from a storm cloud. Chip and Dale, both beginning to tear up themselves, placed their hands on Gadget's shoulders. "Gadget… I'm so sorry you had to go through that", whimpered Chip.

"Yeah… me too", she spoke with an equally weak voice.

"Well…" said Dale, wiping a tear away and sniffling, "At least he'll be back up in the skies he loved when he was alive, watching over you again…"

Gadget nodded slowly in response. Her eyes burnt, her arms were weak, her ears pressed against her head and her tail drooped. Breathing heavily, she soon staggered up and walked toward the swords. The one Geegaw held in his right hand, a basket-hilt broadsword, was soon taken by Gadget, who also obtained the weapon's sheath, placed it in her belt, and sheathed the sword. She then walked to the walls, taking a pouch containing shuriken and the flare gun pouch, and tossed Chip the dart pouch and Dale the shuriken pouch. "…Come on. I guess… I guess we have no choice but to carry on", she said.

The boys nodded, clipping the magical weapon pouches to their bandoliers. They now knew Gadget had no longer an ambition to merely survive the castle… they knew deep in their hearts she now had her father's honor to avenge, too.

End Chapter 4.


End file.
